Great Tit on the Sunflower (gouache style)

The great tit is the largest British tit, with a glossy black head, white cheeks, a greenish back and a yellow breast split by a black stripe. The male's stripe is broader than the female's. It has a wide range of calls, but the best known is a two-note 'teacher, teacher', often heard from January on mild days. Strong for its size, it holds a seed under one foot and hammers it open.

Sunflowers come from North America and are easy annuals to grow. Sow seed in pots indoors in April, or straight outdoors in May once the soil has warmed, in full sun. Stake tall varieties and protect seedlings from slugs. Leave the heads on the plants once they've finished for birds to pick at, or cut them and hang them up. Great tits also take sunflower hearts, peanuts and suet from feeders, and they'll use a nest box with a 28mm hole.

A great tit clings to a nodding sunflower head full of seeds. The flower has done its work, the seed has ripened, and the bird has found it. It's the moment a gardener's summer plant turns into food for birds, and the picture shows the great tit's strength and grip as it works the heavy head.